Heather Martin -- Museum Visit

 In this picture there is a man encased in a glass ball, he is pressing on the glass and trying to escape from within. There are different colors on the glass which include orange, yellow, and green.

 This piece of art work is call It's Not Art, Until You Put Your Soul In It, and it inspired me firstly because I hadn't ever seen anything like it, and I also felt like a lot of people could relate, myself included. Like all art there are a millions ways for someone to interpret it, and this piece would definitely be included in that statement. I took it two different ways, one way being that people can be trapped within themselves due to many different things in today's world, they can feel like they cannot be themselves around others, and they are desperately trying to break free from their loneliness. Another way I interpreted it, which I think is the actual point the artist was trying to get across was the way people can feel like they are not creative, they feel like they are unable to imagine new things and be able to create them from their mind. I definitely have felt this way, until this class, I had no idea what I was capable of, and now I am able to be confident in the fact that I am a creative person. The man in the glass ball feels captive by the fact that he cannot create, and he would be right because "it's not art, until you put your soul into it". 

This was not a picture, and there weren't really any real pictures to choose from at this art gallery, so I chose the one that spoke most to me which was actually a sculpture more than a photo, so it is hard to apply photographic techniques to this piece of art 

 

The picture I have taken to represent the gallery piece is the same because it has the same idea behind it, the idea of being trapped and trying to get out. Walls are less penetrable than glass, and I wanted to capture the fact that people can be going through the same thing, but every situation is going to be different along with the outcome, because everyone in this world is different from those around them.

Olivia Farrell-Museum Visit

Description: For my museum visit I used a photograph from Kendal College. The picture I took is of a girl who is staring somewhere off to the right. Her eyes are not looking straight to the side, but rather down and to the right. there is a light hitting the left side of her face and it stops right below her eye and it does not pass her nose. The right side of her face is not lit and is shadowed. She has hair draped across her left eye. The hair on her right side is not behind her ear, it is kind of just resting on her cheek. She has a sort of frown on her lips. It looks like she is in deep thought because something sad happened and she needs to sort everything out. And her head is tilted at a slant to the left. 

Technieque: One of the technieques used in this photograph was definitly the lighting, either a reflector or a key light was used on the side of her face. The photographer definitely wanted only half of her face to be lit. Another technieque used in this picture was the contrast of light and darknes on the different sides of her face.  

Interpretation: When I look at this picture, I see a girl who needs a friend. She has a lot going on in life and is contemplating why things happen the way they do. She looks lost in thought, and like she needs someone to talk to. She is too scared to talk to anyone though because she has been judged in the past and she does not want to be hurt again. She is sad and does not know what to do. 

Judgement: I really like this picture. It is very simple, but it can have a lot of meaning behind it. I like the contrast of the light and dark on her face. I also like how I can relate to what I would interprate it to be. 

    After seeing the other picture. I was inspired to take a picture of something more happy. I wanted to do this to show that even though bad thigs come along, there will always be more good that comes. And I wanted to show that you can get through hard times. It will be difficult and there will be bad days, but in the end, you can still learn to smile and continue on.

Nekoda Boggs - Museum Visit

Description: This is a photo taken by a student at Kendall College of Art and Design. It is a photo of buildings that I believe are in Grand Rapids. Also, this is in black and white which I think gives this picture more character. There's looks to be a moving car going down the street that is in between the two buildings. The photo has more blacks and dark grays than whites and light grays but this is what gives the picture contrast and the character of the city.

Technique: The graphic weight that the photographer used is mainly leading lines. The way that the buildings are designed there are lines going from the left side of the picture taking you eyes to the middle then on to the right of the photo and lastly taking a turn where the car is driving off the photo. Leading lines are meant to bring focus to a subject or to draw you eyes to a specific point. In this case the lines of the buildings are taking your eyes into and L until you see the car. That's not all the photographer used he also used the rule of thirds. When you first look at the photo your eyes are drawn straight to the SUV in the lower right quadrant. There is a lot going on in this photo but this what makes the photo appealing to the eye. You are drawn to the lines and how the buildings are so close together yet evenly spaced from the architect and builders that put them there.

Interpretation: What I think that the photographer was trying to say in the photo is that the city is a place of art and is different than what he is used to. When I saw this photo I was automatically was intrigued by the modern buildings and the glass. I saw bustling streets and crazy life of getting from one place to the other. I'm from the country and I truly believe that this photographer is as well because it's almost as if he has never seen anything quite so beautiful as city life with it's giant buildings and streets of concrete as far as the eye can see.

Judgement: I was drawn to this photo right away so, I can say that I do enjoy this photo. It's pleasing to the eye and I prefer black and white photos over color. If this picture were in color it wouldn't be as attention grabbing. It also looks like the photographer had to take this photo later in the day after all of the rush hour traffic is gone and the streets cleared. This may have been difficult to since the cars and people that could have been passing might have been blurry and made the picture way too busy. What I would have done differently is I would have zoomed out a little bit to get more of the buildings and the surroundings

This is how I was inspired by the photo was the way that the buildings pieces of art work. I also used to leading lines of the buildings but I did not use the rule of thirds the way that the photographer did.

Michaila Cohen- Museum Visit

Description: This photo was one that I was drawn to at Kendall College of Art and Design. It is a photograph of a blonde- haired woman in the middle of land surrounded by many leaves of trees. She looks as if she is enveloped and "at one" with nature. The color of this photo is sepia so it is unique from the usual green leaves that we see in many photographs of nature. I enjoy this picture because I am very drawn to nature and use it as the subject of the majority of my photos. I can also relate to the photograph because I love being outdoors and discovering new beautiful things in nature so in a way I feel like the woman in the picture.

Techniques: The photographer uses graphic weight to draw attention to the middle of the picture where the focus is on the woman. This is done by having her amongst soft leaves that fill up the rest of the frame and the woman brings something different to look at. Anti rule of thirds is used to bring focus to the subject which is right in the middle of the frame, making it obvious what subject is the focus. The leaves are used as a frame within a frame to box in the subject and further bring focus to the woman. Leaves are also used to create a different rough kind of texture in the photograph. The woman looks very soft in texture against the harsh edges and multitude of leaves around her creating a contrast in texture. Contrast in values are also used. Although there are no colors used in the photograph, the lightness of the woman's hair against the dark background of leaves bring more attention and focus to the woman. Plenty of head room is used in the photograph by taking the photo higher up than where the subject is. There is plenty of space between her head and where the the photo cuts off so there is not tension created in the photograph.

Interpretation: When I look at this picture, I see a woman who is conflicted or in despair. She looks like she is overwhelmed and has had too much happening at once and needs somewhere to get away. In order to escape from everything and everyone around her, she has slipped away to the woods near her house and found solace in the trees that surround her. Surrounded by nature and the tall ancient trees she feels like she is a part of a bigger picture. She doesn't want to return to real life yet so she lets the leaves envelop her and hold onto her in a kind of embrace.

Judgement: I can say that I really like this picture and I really enjoy looking at it. The nature aspect I am drawn to because it is what I am pulled to and what I take pictures of. I like that there is a person as the subject so it is not just a simple, boring picture of leaves and trees. The sepia brings a different kind of element to the picture creating a more interesting photograph to look at. However, if they plan of centering the subject in focus, I would make sure that it is in the very center. In the photo she is off a tiny bit to the side which would make sense if they were using rule of thirds, but since they are not I would be careful of making the woman exactly centered. There is not much else that I would change about the photo. I think the photographer did a great job of capturing an interesting and beautiful photograph.

In my recreation of the photo, I made it similar in the way that the woman in focus is surrounded and somewhat enveloped by the nature around her. She looks comfortable and at peace although there may be turmoil going on inside her. I used the same sepia tone in the photograph to create a mood that portrays serenity and a collected calmness instead of having busy colors all around her. I chose to follow the rule of thirds slightly by not centering my subject unlike the original photo. I also chose to have my subject more in focus by not completely surrounding her by leaves, but by having different types of plants around her so that she was not swallowed up.

Haley Walsworth- Museum Visit

Description: I used a picture from the Kendell College of Art and Design. The picture is photographed by Anna Mae Kamps. The scene of the photograph appears to be in a house. The walls are painted a dark tan color which adds to the mood. There is a young girl sitting in the right hand corner of the photograph, with only the window light shining in on her hand, which is covering some of her face. The girl sits in front of a white door and is mostly shadowed besides her hand and her hair.

Why I enjoy it: I enjoy this piece mostly because it is something different. Although the photograph is a head on shot, the colors and light makes the photograph more meaningful to me. Looking at this photograph allowed me to imagine what was going through her mind and imagine a story for her.

                 

Technique: This piece is using the rule of thirds by placing the girl in the right hand corner of the picture. By using this rule, the viewer can guess that perhaps she is not the main focus. With this being said, the light from the window captures the attention and is the focal point of this picture. Besides the light from the window, there is no other source of light, which adds more of darker tone to the whole picture.

Interpretation: At first, this photo made me feel sad. Perhaps the girl in the corner had depression or was struggling with a loss. But as I continued to look at this picture, I felt a sense of home. To me, this picture brings both of feelings. The light from the window adds a sort of dimension to the picture that normal house lighting wouldn’t bring. The way the girl is hiding her face adds a short of character to her that wouldn’t be their if she was just smiling at the camera.

Judgment: I really like this photo. It may look bland to some, but it pulled a story without much thought. I love how simple all the elements in this photo are, but they still draw emotion from the viewer.

I wanted to portray the sadness but also feeling of home in this photo. I wanted to convey the same sort of mood and lighting in this picture. Making sure that the lighting was dim, and that I only had one true source of light, like the museum picture. 

White on White and Black on Black - John Knott

Jessica Bonkowski- Museum Visit

 The image is a person entirely dressed in white standing there with a box on their head. The entire picture is white except for a face painted on the box. The face is a simple two dots for eyes and a sideways parenthesis spray painted in black. The painted areas are bleeding downwards as if they painted the box while it was standing up. The light comes from the left and casts a shadow on the persons left arm, but our right side looking at it. The shadow gives it a bit of contrast to all the white in the photo. 

Techniques used would be things like negative space. Sure there is a person but they are wearing white and blend in a bit with the background; it really allows the viewer to focus on the face on the box. Also, the fact the light is coming from one side makes your eyes start by looking at the face then from the light side of the body to the dark. It seems to me the photographer wanted a specific path at which you looked at it. 

I enjoyed this piece because it is so simple yet conveys such a deep meaning. My interpretation of this piece is that the photographer was trying to convey how society is shaping its people. We are told to put on a happy face and live our lives instead of being the unique individuals we are. To me this piece shows how people hide their true feelings because no one cares for each other anymore. We don't take time to invest in people so we just put on a happy face and hide what we truly feel. The drips of the face, or bleeding as I called it earlier, conveys to me the pain inside the person to want to show their feelings but just can't. The bottling up of their problems, feelings, and experiences is killing them inside. 

My judgment of this photo is that it was very well done. The simplicity of it pulls me in honestly. The white gives it a lighter feel instead of being on a dark background. Overall, I just enjoyed this piece because of what I thought it meant. I love simple yet deep meaning photos and this is definitely one. The only thing I just don't like is that the person isn't really in the center, but the photographer may have done this on purpose. 

My Photo: 

My photo is similar in meaning, but different representation of it. I took a photo of a hand. It is supposed to look like it is reaching out for help. The finger tips are more pressed to the paper while the middle of the hand looks a bit distant and this is because the hand is pulling away. In other words, the person is not trying to reach out for help anymore. This is similar to the picture above because the person has given up trying to show feelings so they put on a fake face.